September 2013- Annoying "Any news?" texts, maternity leave and BABIES!

[fl0b0t]

Looks like we need another new thread - we've been rather busy!

Up to date (ish) Stats thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/a1694946-September-2013-STATS-THREAD

As previously- Welcome newbies! If anyone wants to join the Facebook group (better for sharing documents and pictures- especially picture of gorgeous babies), please message myself or jennimoo with your real life name and email address and we can add you to the group!

Bring on the irritating texts from family members and best friends to find out whether you've had your babies or not (like you wouldn't tell them.....), more weird and disgusting labour symptoms, more internal examinations than you can shake a stick at, and LOTS OF BABIES!

Waggy flo I'm in the same boat too! Baby is barely awake, and refusing to take from me. I have loads of milk and he did take on day 1 and 2 but not now.

I was paranoid that he wasn't gettin food so I resorted to formula and feel better, but he's still so sleepy. So keeping up the 3hourly wake up routine. But he's a nightmare to wake. Off to investigate flos other thread!

PS- just a quick update- I am over the f*cking moon as Robin fed from me this evening!!!!!

Only likes left boob (shame as I have a painful milk blister on that one) but did about 10 full mins! :-) I cried a bit with happiness (first crying of the day though!) I fed him a little more expressed milk to top up too.

No idea what he'll make of the other feeds tonight (11pm/2am/5am/8am/11am) then we're off to a specialist BF clinic so hopefully we'll get lots of help.

Loving all the birth announcements and keeping an eye on all these early day tips (even though I have a DS, its all gone out the window in the last 2yrs I swear. No memory whatsoever!)

Euccch shaving ones legs at 40+ weeks pregnant. Is there a more undignified and exhausting attempt at feeling half human? It took me 25minutes and I'm pretty sure there's large chunks I've still managed to miss. Oh well the midwives will just be in for a treat when I and my patchy hairy legs finally arrive in the labour ward!

Flo, what worked? Thomas was up and lively, I tried the boob and nothing! Ugh.

We've been using sheet and blanket in the Moses basket and he's been sleeping like a dream. Tonight the temp has dropped to 16c in our room. No doubt will drop further overnight. He's now big enough for the grobag, however, I have a daft question. What do you do with the excess in the foot area, fold over or hang it over the end of the basket?

I'm having a neurotic day, worrying about everything! Guess this is parenthood!

fozzie I'm getting it too. Due on Thursday but been getting calls and texts for over a week. As if I'd forget to tell anyone I had a child grrr! Sending positive labour vibes your way.

Fl0 thank you for your support, feels strangely good knowing we aren't the only ones struggling. Many tears here, mostly by dh, sadness at baby ears frustration then elation and pride when it works! Took 20 mins to wake and remind him how to feed but we are latched on as I 'speak' am delighted! I think baby ear forgets how to suck and what to do which is part of the problem.

Also, have quite bad after pains feeding so am dosing up on paracetamol ...am assuming that is ok, forgot to ask the midwife today, twice!

Amazing mw, came back this avo for second visit on her way home as she lives locally. Also will swing by tomorrow to give us dome cloth nappies she has unused at home coz apparently we are the Only ones on cloth locally! Feeling elated ...may be the hormones

Runningbear - you can have paracetamol and ibuprofen, at the sane time, and I needed it for my after pains! A hot water bottle worked well too.

Yay, I finally have a baby! Was convinced it was going to be a girl, so is obv a boy! Casper James born at 2:30pm yesterday, 9lbs 3oz at term+13! His big brother was 9lbs 13, so he looks teeny to me! Signing off to go and eat him now, because he's yummy.

p.s. To all those struggling with feeding - you are doing amazing job. I used to be a La Leche League leader and fed my others until they were two, but have completely forgotten what I'm doing, and it's all taking a bit of getting used to! Worth it in the end though.

running paracetamol is fine, and if things get really bad, so is Boots version of Solpadeine (have been taking it for my shoulder).

Glad the mw is being really supportive - definitely a massive help/reassurance for you.

DH's alarm is going to go off in 30 minutes. I've been awake since 4. Charlotte hasn't settled since I fed her then, and the breast pump has stopped working - just randomly turns off after a minute, so have spent some time battling with that. Charlotte's all wide eyed now but won't take any milk to settle, Sophie still asleep.

Emmathe successful feed was after an afternoon of skin to skin :) he's not taken the boob over night h that well but I've excised enough for the feed each time so I'm not too stressed. Plan to use day time to get him on the boob and night time to get any routine I can so I get some sleep so I'm ready to try Boob again during the day!

Runningin sure your household is similar to ours at the moment! My lovely mw called yest to how I was getting on and I could proudly tell her about 6 pm that Ihadn't cried yet! !! I get so excited when he latches and feeds :)

mynameiswell done you for supporting others via la leche. One just needs constant help, advice and reassurance when trying to do this! Congrats on your lovely boy! 9lb 3 eh?! Nice one!

Dietcokeyou sound so patient. If my pump broke I'd be lost! I was donated both a hand and electric pump but seen to remember the hadn't one doesn't work very well... I'd end up hand expressing!

On a good session I'm now expressing almost 50ml per Boob and for night feeds this rocks as I can decant about 80 into a Bottle and and leave it next to the bid for me or dh to do whilst I express!

runningbear

Tell me about your nappies?! I've got a whole bunch of reusable ones that have been donated. I want to use them and felt once we were past meconiumand feeding problems wet could try them. Got ask the gear I think but need to take the plunge! Also not sure if these will fit Mister skinny bottom As many of them say "2" on the label so in guessing they are second size?

Congratulations waggy and mynameis - great news

In my ongoing false labour saga - I had a quieter day yesterday after loosing what I thought was the whole plug sat night, but got up this am to go to the loo & as soon as I stood up there was a thump and another massive chunk (this time bloody) all over the bath mat - not what I needed at 5.30am.

Still no real contractions just strong BH but 4 days in, I'm knackered and really worried I'll have no energy left for real labour
Seriously - how big is the plug - mine started going in small chunks 3 weeks ago, but in the last few days I reckon I've lost way more than I should have room for /yuk

Purple, I remember being totally taken aback by the size of my mucus plug as it shot across the bathroom floor with DD. Like nothing I could ever have imagined!

Then later in hospital MW mentioned when she examined me that 'there's a bit more plug'. I remember thinking 'seriously, how?!'.

Unfortunately for DH, he's pretty scarred by seeing it drop out like that too. I think for a split second he thought it was the baby that had hit the deck!

ION, MW appointment today 40+1 for the dreaded stretch and sweep... Eeeeep :(

Thank you Jenni and dietcoke!

Congratulations mynameis lovely name, look forward to pics after you've had a munch :)

Thank you all for feeding encouragement, we managed two quite stressful feeds in the night, one preceded and broken by hysterical crying-and dh worrying he might wake the neighbours! I really hope they can't ...might ask and find out.

Thanks triple, good luck today

We went to our local bf support group this morning. Delighted to get outside for fresh air and use our sling. So exciting... Made all the better by the addition of a tiny of bear hat with ears courtesy of dietcoke. After talking about all our difficulties, tried one of the groups bf pillows, lay bb on it, flopped out a boob and as I turned to talk to dh bb took a mouthful of boob and latched on perfectly!? have since tried feeding at home lying him on a cushion and dropping an udder on him and it seems to work a treat. Came home and immediately ordered a pillow!

fl0 on the nappy front, we have 5 little lamb microfibre shaped nappies in their smallest size and 10 cotton disana tie Ups, which are one size only, so come up to his armpits! No leaks, haven't used a liner yet as such tiny amounts of poo and wee. Dh has done a quick 30 min 30 degree was each day of nappies-bit excessive but we haven't got many as still testing these and some other donated ones out. The disana nappies are about £3 each and the little lamb ones £8.

Good luck purple keep eating and drinking! Dh fed me spoons of honey (bears do like honey) during labour when I was getting tired which was great and easy to stomach.

Re: Nappies

I bought 44 nappies (half size one and half size two) off Gumtree for £60. This included 12 wraps. According to various friends the best thing to do at first is to use muslins fastened with nappi nippas and wraps on top because you can get the muslins good and snug. This woman is good for showing various folds

The actual nappies don't need to be used for a couple months (according to my friend). If it's size two you have check the recommended weight for your brand but you will probably be able to get away with muslins until almost time for size 2 by which time you'll probably know whether or not you want to continue with reusables. The other (cheap) option is terry towelling nappies with wraps on top. Shaped and pocket nappies are a bit pricer unless you get them second hand and score a sweet deal like I did.

We've worked out that we'll be saving about £1000 using reusables. Plus no landfill which is good.

Running, that's fantastic news that the bf cafe was useful. Who would have thought a cushion could make all the difference? Onwards and upwards.

Sweep was a bloody waste of time :( It was hurting me so much she abandoned it before she could actually make any assessment of my cervix. Exact same thing happened with DD. I'm so so disappointed in myself I cried all the way home :(

Really don't know why v/e's hurt me so much as I know I don't usually have a low pain threshold. Gah! At least I know baby is unlikely to be putting in an appearance just yet.

On the bright side 3/5ths engaged at 40+1. Good for a second baby from what I've read??

My cloth nappies are size 1/2 and the 1s fit at the mo, but I'm pretty sure my brand (totsbots stretchies) the size 2s are birth to potty but they look massive on a little one!

Thanks for nappie info! Will take a look this week and maybe experiment!

Interns of questions about feeding.... Skin to skin has been key and also getting a bottle with about 10ml of expressed breast milk in, then trying him on the boob. If he thrashes about then I ofer the bottle to remind him what is there, then straight back to the boob to get him latched on.

Once he is latched I had some great advice today- to get him to continue feeding when he seems to stop sucking (esp if he is still latched) is to apply a little pressure on his shoulders ( when in the classic hold across the body). 90% of e time during his feed at the specialist clinic today he started sucking again! He has since then had two more feeds. He fed for ages for his 5pm (sadly his fave boob is the one with the sore nipple!) and for about ten mins for his 8pm and seemed satisfied.

I've bought some nipple shells to get more air to my nips to help heal the cracked one and the midwives have lent me a bigger flange (fnar) which is the funnelly bit of the pump in the hope that it will be more comfortable pumping.

I'm trying to avoid having to have to get ebm out of the fridge and warm It for each feed (especially night time feeds) but want to keep some pumped for just in case. Looking into how to freeze it... By want to be able to defrost in small amounts. Looks like good advice is using a sterilised ice cube tray and then decanting into freezer bags. Then you can defrost as many or few cubes as you like. Anyone done this? Got any advice?

I used to freeze my bm into 1oz portions, but I just poured it straight into the freezer bags direct from the bottle attached to the pump - my bags had little measurements up the side. Wrote the date on each bag. Used a lot of bags my way though!

But totally agree that storing in small amounts is the way to go. As a novice I was storing in big amounts of 4-6oz and then having to defrost the lot when I needed a small amount and there was so much waste! So you are already well ahead of where I was with your good thinking!

Hurrah! as my supply seems good, if the boy continues to feed well I hope to not have to worry too much about how much I express. Looking to stay expressing only during the day after he feeds just to ensure I've always got some for just in case. ... I'm not making any more. Hoping to get him down for s few hours when this feed is over :)

The long time lurker here. Bouncing on my ball with the tens machine on, looks like it'll be my turn soon!

Hurrah yellowhat! Were you in the same ttc thread as me, andadietcoke andpinkapple?!

Have you joined the fb group? many more discussions aand lots of photos there!